Let's continue our discussion on the submissive leader's Secret Sauce by turning to the Apostle Paul's letter to the Church in Ephesus.
In Ephesians 6:14-17, he instructs those new followers of The Way in how to apply the full armor of God available to defend against and fight the Enemy and this corrupt world:
"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
The Apostle Paul presents a vivid picture of what every soldier of Christ must do each morning to become an effective disciple of the Lord.
I've always considered two of these pieces of armament to be most critical in facing the daily trials set before me personally.
The shield of faith can be an offensive weapon to knock down the strongholds the Enemy places in our path.
And, the sword of the Spirit protects us from the continual onslaught of the Adversary.
Perhaps you don't sense the presence of the darkness that's all around us.
If that's the case, you have become accustomed to the darkness and unaware of the Light of Christ that you need to follow as a true believer. It's time you opened your eyes to focus on God's Word and prepare for the battle that lies ahead!
Let's talk about our faith first.
Many successful men and women talk about their personal faith in themselves and others who have helped them on their individual roads to worldly success.
The faith the Apostle Paul is talking about is a deep, personal faith in Christ.
His faith journey started on the Road to Damascus and he was almost immediately transformed from a zealous persecutor of the followers of Jesus into just perhaps the most devoted of all servants of Christ.
In Matthew 17:19 we read, "Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, 'Why couldn't we drive it out?'" (referring to a demon possessing a young boy).
In verse 20 we read "He replied, 'Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.'"
How is your faith in God Almighty?
The Sword of the Spirit represents the most offensive piece of a Christian Soldier's armament, but it can also be used to defend the Word of God.
By far the best example can be found in Matthew 4:1-11, where Satan does his best to tempt Jesus in the desert. After three unsuccessful attempts, he departs.
Jesus' responses to all three attempts started with the phrase "It is written," thereby referring to the perfect written Word of God.
Have you made a concerted effort to memorize God's Word and thus sharpen the Sword of the Spirit?